The continued evolution of computer network protocols presents new challenges for today's enterprise organizations. In some examples, enterprise organizations may interconnect two separate computing networks to create a convenient single network. Devices that interconnect separate computing networks may be called “bridges.” Similarly, enterprise organizations may also employ both physical computing resources and virtual computing resources, such as virtual machines, within the same bridged network.
One desirable feature in computer networking protocols is the ability to extend the ports of a network bridge to create an extended bridge. The extended ports may provide access for virtual machines in addition to physical computing systems. One standard for extending the ports of a bridge to achieve this function and other functions is 802.1 BR, which corresponds to the “Bridge Port Extension” protocol established by the IEEE 802 project of the IEEE Standards Association.
In accordance with the 802.1 BR protocol, a satellite device (e.g., a network edge device) may attempt to connect to a network managed by a network management server. In some scenarios, the satellite device may be able to connect to the network management server only through an aggregation device as an intermediary node. Unfortunately, the aggregation device and the satellite device may have no established method for ensuring a trusted connection between each other. Accordingly, the instant disclosure identifies and addresses a need for additional and improved apparatuses and methods for authenticating network devices.